Film techies to boycott National Awards?

Film technicians say there are talks of a boycott or some form of protest against the National Awards this time

| TNN | Feb 9, 2014, 12.00 AM IST

Resul Pookutty

Oscar winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty is one angry man. The reason this time is the process involved in sending movies for the National Award jury to see and select. They are asking for all the movies to be converted into a format, says he, that is not only obsolete the world over, but reduces the quality of the movie by many degrees.

"So, what basis are they judging us on?," he asks. Resul and others in the industry are currently talking to technicians and people involved in the post production and the actual filming of a movie, and are gearing up for a campaign that could either take the shape of a total boycott, or some other form of protest, for, Resul says, "this is no option for us, to be forced to convert our films into a downgraded format," even as he talks in detail about it.

I&B ministry is technology-awareness starved "The Government of India and the Information and Broadcasting ministry has no respect for what we do. They are so slow to change, it is unbelievable. I don't know whether the problem is bureaucratic or something else. They still do not seem to have come to an understanding that filmmaking, as a medium that involves shooting and processing, has gone out of the reel-canning phase long ago; that the photographic film doesn't exist any longer in this digital era, where everything is on a chip and is computerised. When we shoot, the camera has no film in it now, and so, there is no processing lab anymore. But the government doesn't seem to have woken up to this change, and still demand bizarrely outdated processes to be followed for submission of a film for National Awards, or for anything else government-related."

Do we forge Lab Certificate? "Since the developing of a film is not needed any longer, as everything directly goes into computers, the processing labs have all died out, and almost don't exist any more. But if I have to submit a movie to the Censor Board for certification, which is a must before I submit a film for the National Awards, they demand a lab letter. Now what do we do? So, for one of the last films I worked on, we tried telling the CBFC that since we cannot straightaway get a lab letter, we will give you a letter, but from the sound engineer of the film, saying that the film has been processed and is ready for viewing by the Censor Board. But they won't accept that. Now what do we do? So what is it that they want? A forged lab letter? They will be happy with a forged letter from a non-existent lab, but not a real letter from someone who has worked till the end of the film. Isn't this bizarre?" asks Resul.

How can they judge films like this? He continues, "The I&B ministry knows that these days, films are in the DCP format - Digital Cinema Package. It's a hard drive, that goes to the cinema theatres, gets loaded on their server and is shown. No cans, no prints. Last year, before the National Awards, we told the ministry to accept films in the DCP format. They said that next year onwards they will, because the theatre where the films are shown to the jury (which is Siri Fort Auditorium) doesn't have this technology and needs an upgradation. But this year again, the tender has asked for the films in a Digi-Beta format, which an almost 25-year-old technology, and which nobody in the world uses any longer, except maybe Doordarshan. They simply cannot judge a film made these days on a tape-based format like this, which has to be watched via a projector."

Ministry is turning a deaf ear "Another defect in the format they are asking for, is that our movies need to be low-graded for this. We now design in Dolby Digital 64 channel stereo system. The Digi-Beta format is a two track video format. And so, there is one generation of quality loss in picture, sound and viewing quality. Now, how will you judge sound, actors' performance, cinematography, etc, on such a poor quality format? Everybody has been running helter-skelter ever since the submission tenders came out - the date is next week, conversion studios are not commonly available. We tried telling the ministry this, but they turned a deaf ear. They just don't seem to bother," says Resul, adding, "Can't they do this much for an industry from which they collect annual entertainment tax to the tune of `400-500 crores?"

We request the jury to boycott this viewing process Says Dharam Gulati, member of camera association and treasurer GraFTII (association of graduates of FTII), "Here we are, talking of 4-K projections and other technological advancements, and I hear this. I wasn't aware of this viewing process earlier. But this is downgrading. As a cameraman, I feel hurt; this is throwing us backwards by a quarter of a century almost. The jury should reject watching movies like this, we request them to boycott the viewing process. We are technical people, and the process of filmmaking is close to our hearts, and this, what I hear, is criminal. How can they treat someone's work of art like that? Most of all, how can you judge fairly and give awards?" Adds Subhash Sahoo, member of the Sound Association and a documentary filmmaker who is submitting his short film Sebabou for the National Awards this time, "This process is archaic. Ab itne dinon se main koshish kar raha hoon meri film ko convert karne ki. But there are about 10 odd studios doing this in the country today. No one goes to them, and so they are shutting down. We talk about competing with global cinema, going to Cannes and Oscars and what not. But this is the status in our own country? We have no option but to do this, this time around, but I would like to request those from our film fraternity who are submitting their films this time, to take a stand on this, so that maybe next time this issue doesn't crop up."

Rajendra Talak, former jury member, whose film A Rainy Day is competing this time, says, "Jis format mein film bana ho, usi format mein dekhein toh best hai. Lekin Siri Fort mein, yeh jo latest technology ki yeh log baat kar rahe hain, DCP, woh facility nahi hai. The problem is the condition put to convert a film into a different format, and as a filmmaker, I know that quality is compromised in this process. That is why the viewing experience in theatres is different from the one at Siri Fort. The National Award demands that we send the film in the format the Censor Board has given us the certification for, and the CB demands a lab certificate - that classifies all films into one format. This is where the issue is. The actual code should be that if your film is made in 35 mm, it should be viewed like that, if in DCP, it should be like that."

Filing an RTI application: Resul Last year, the film fraternity had given a representation to the I&B ministry, about the need to start a high quality viewing upgradation of the Siri Fort auditorium. Shaji Karun, renowned South filmmaker, had signed the letter, and he had also got a confirmation from the ministry, that they are already in the process of allocating funds for the upgradation (see box). Now, Resul is readying to file an RTI application to find out what happened to that allocation. He says, "If not upgradation, why can they not hire a commercial cinema theatre, or a multiplex screen to show the films to the jury? There are solutions for everything - the point is, is the ministry wanting to solve this issue for us?" Resul is now seeking an appointment with I&B minister Manish Tewari regarding the this, and will also make a fresh appeal and representation.

Excerpts from Shaji Karun's December 5, 2013 letter to Raghvendra Singh, Jt Sec, I&B Ministry While we judge for all the BESTS for National FILM awards, the viewing facilities now we have at SIRIFORT is outdated and obsoleted.. may be many many years back technology.. IT may be considered as TRUE SHAME.!!! ...How can you select THE BEST after watching it in an ambiance where the current technology never matters?

We need to update it immediately... before the next NATIONAL AWARD SCREENING due for next March.. It is our respects to the technology of cinema as well the growth of cinema. I thought of bringing this urgent matter before your farsightedness. I shall be delighted if the viewing facilities of Sirifort is updated to match with future technology before the next national film award selections. As all technology consultants and expertise are available in India It is not a difficult task even. I am sure you will extent this support and make it a reality. I value your visions always.

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